Our Month in Review

It's been well over a month since I've really updated the blog about something other than our adoption. So, it was time to find and share a few pictures of our goings on from the past month. Many of these I intended to share on their own posts, but days and nights slipped away before I could do a timely update. So in lieu of the missed "up-to-the-minute" posts, this is our pictorial month in review.

This is what happened one day during our quiet time at the end of March. Quiet time has taken the place of naps around here. We try to do it every day.....but doesn't always happen. These pics are reason enough for me to make quiet time a real habit.

Checking in on him again a little later.......looks comfy.

There's nothing like napping with your big squishy bear.

This is a shot of Jake with his prize basket for winning the Easter coloring contest at church (for his age group, of course). He was SO super excited to get a basket from the bunnies. Jake's winning this contest turned out to be a good life lesson for Emma as she really took it personal that her picture didn't win. She looked at me and said, "But Mommy, wasn't my picture so beautiful?" We had to talk about how not everyone can win everything all the time. And that sometimes our brother will win or our friends will win and we won't. We still need to be happy for them and not pout about our loss. Life is hard to figure out, Em. I know. The other life lesson has been for Jake - I've said at least a few times, "No punkin, you do not get a basket of toys & candy for every good picture you color. We color just for the fun of it!"

Our babes at Easter - I somehow got a couple great shots, including this one, all on my own after church (since Mikey was working up at Firebreak on Easter this year). Easter was strange with Michael gone, but my family came down and we had a really yummy brunch and spent a great day together.

In early April we took the kids and went with Mom, Amanda, Chris & the twins, Nana and my friend Megan & her little one year old Maddie to the Oregon Garden. We had planned to go to the tulip field but made last minute alternate plans after seeing a line to get into the tulip fields that was over 2 miles long. This is a picture of me holding little Mason on the tram at the Oregon Garden. He had a great time on that tram. The twins are getting SO big and SO stinkin' adorable. Smiling and talking all the time now. And Mason's reflux is getting a lot better. Still lots of spitting up and such, but not nearly the screaming and endless hours of crying. Praise God!

Emma holding Maddie - I think they both have such beautiful eyes.

We did make it to the tulip fields at the end of April. It's an annual tradition, we couldn't miss it this year so we made a second attempt at going and it worked out well. It was beautiful as always.

Mom & Amanda got the honors of riding the cow barrels through the fields with the kids.

A perfect pair.

Emma had her spring school recital at the end of April. They sang and did motions for some worship songs they sing in chapel each week. It would be an understatement to say Emma was intense and focused while doing her motions. She did them all with every ounce of energy in her little body. Oh my poor darlin' - you've gotten some of your momma's type A tendencies. Although, she is not shy like I was at her age. I would have been embarrassed to be in the front row while she seemed to quite comfortable there.

Jake and his best buddy Caleb after Emma's performance. What a duo. Watch out world - they are force to be reckoned with!!!!!!!!

And the most recent news around our house????? Emma is now without training wheels!!! We have been working on it with her a little bit over the past month and 1/2. She really had no desire to give them up and was scared to ride her bike without them, but I could tell she was ready. (Michael was in agreement with Emma and wanted to keep them on - he was so freaked about her having a huge, painful crash.....sometimes we are SO different in our parenting....) With a little encouragement, a good handful of burnouts, and Mikey and I running our butts up and down the sidewalk over, over and over, she just up and decided on Monday that she was going to do it by herself. While the teen life group was having their study in our backyard, we went out front with the kids and off she went. And now we can't stop her!!! She woke up Tuesday morning at 7:00am BEGGING us to get dressed and go outside with her so she could ride up and down the street. And then right after lunch she wanted to go for an actual bike ride, so Jake, Emma and I climbed on our bikes and went for a ride around the neighborhood. And right before bed, she just had to do more riding up and down the block and did so for about a 1/2 hour. We've created an animal!!!!

Whoa, whoa......when she first got started she was always tilting so severely to one side or the other. I think my muscles are sore from tensing up each time she would tilt from side to side, or slightly miss ramming the fence or nearly crash into our neighbor's decorative rocks. She rode back Tuesday morning after going down the block by herself and said to us, "Uh....I think it's ok if someone's plants are bent just a little. It's really ok." Oh dear. We have no idea whose plants she is talking about.

And off she goes.......

.......and goes.......

....and back she comes.....

Can you tell she loves this???? Another sign of her growing up......so bittersweet.